Talking Green Careers At The Youth Climate Action Summit
On Thursday, May 22, The New York Climate Exchange partnered with New York City Public School’s (NYCPS) Office of Energy and Sustainability to host “What’s a Climate Job? Green Careers in NYC” — an interactive conversation during the Youth Climate Summit on Governors Island.
In collaboration with the SYCPS’ Youth Leadership Committee, we designed this session to reflect the diversity of careers that are directly or indirectly related to climate change. We were honored to have the following thought leaders participate in the discussion:
Michael Magazine, Student Sustainability Intern at Fordham University
Mae Kennedy, Global Advocacy and Environmental Health Fellow at WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Dr. Equisha Glenn, Senior Planner of Climate Data Science at the MTA
Caroline Williams, Director of Data Science at High Tide Technologies
The questions, crafted by and for youth, centered around the real-world scenario of an unprecedented storm headed for New York City. Each expert shared how their role contributes to community resilience, how they prioritize urgent problems in their work, and what keeps them motivated in the face of the climate crisis.
Students testing local water quality at Waterfront Alliance’s table at the Summit.
Congratulations to NYCPS and partner organizations Billion Oyster Project, Earth Matter, GrowNYC, and Seaweed City, for putting together this engaging event that brought hundreds of New York City students — grades 6-12 — to our headquarters on Governors Island.
At The New York Climate Exchange, helping communities thrive involves empowering the next generation of climate leaders by making education accessible, inspiring, and action oriented. We are committed to engaging youth from all backgrounds and helping them see the many pathways into climate solutions, from advocacy to data science, urban planning to public health.
Efforts to advance climate education on a global level starts locally. The earlier we invest in K-12 education, the sooner students will be exposed to the tools and hope they need to understand that they are prepared to face climate change. Every life is impacted by the climate crisis, and events like the Youth Climate Summit show young people that they have a place in this fight today, and a future they can help shape.
